‘For God’s Sake, Behave’ retorts President

President Pranab Mukherjee reminded the country’s lawmakers that they must uphold Parliament’s dignity, soon after members of the Trinamool Congress and the Telugu Desam Party or TDP engaged in a squabble over a room in Parliament.
The bone of contention was Room No 5, which has been occupied by the Andhra Pradesh party for many years but was allotted to the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit leading to a row between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with each side staking claim the particular room. Nameplates were flung as the MPs from the two parties squabbled, with the TDP refusing to vacate the room.
Even as Trinamool Congress and TDP members fought, President Pranab Mukherjee made an emotional appeal to MPs to maintain the dignity, honor and prestige of the House.
“Please, for God’s sake, except you nobody can do it. It is our responsibility, we the elected members of both houses including nominated members, to uphold the prestige, dignity and honor of this great institution,” he said after awarding the best parliamentarian awards.
Mukherjee said he was touched by PM Narendra Modi’s gesture of bowing his head at the stairs of Parliament after winning the Lok Sabha elections as this symbolized the dignity and sanctity of the temple of democracy.
Among those who received awards for their performance in Parliament were Foreign Minister Arun Jaitley, Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal and the Congress’ Karan Singh.